Panel frame



. ffm@ Kas# June 3, 1924.

Patented .lune 3, 1924.`

UNITED STATES PATENT .oFFlcE FRANK KUSTERLE, OF KENOSH, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMONS COMPANY, OF f KENOSHA, WISCONSIN, v A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

' PANEL FRAME.

Application led May 14,

To cz-ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known thatI, FRANK IIt'is'rnmina citizen of the United States, residing atl Kenosha., in the county ofKenoshaand State of lVisconsin, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Panel Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My application relates to improvements in panel frames and has particular value as applied to a mirror frame constructed of sheet or other metal'.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide a light-Weight border frame for panels Which` can be rapidly and economically constructed of sheet metal; to provide a construction lWhich includes an ornamental trim around thek panel sheet as Well as provides for a rigid and at the same time light Weight construction; to provide a construction such that the panel-sheet may be easily and conveniently secured in its frame and removed therefrom With equal facility; to' provide a construction such that the ordi nary inaccuracies' due to lack of perfection in manufacturing methods or inthe material used will not affect the convenience in assembling the panel or impair the eficiency of the assembling; to prov'ide a construction of simple design and of great economy in. manufacture and. in general to provide an improved panel or mirror framev of the character referred to.l I

In the drawings which illustrate my in'- vention as applied to a. mirror such as may be used yon a bedroom dresser,

Fig, l is a front elevation ofthecomplete".V

mirrolyu Y Fig 2 is a. fragmentary rear elevation ofthe same, and v Y Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Y Y

Referring to the drawings, it Will be ob'- servedthat the face sheet of the panel, in the present instanceV as sheet of plate glass 10 having its rear surface silvered to.for1n a mirror, is surrounded by a sheet metal border frame 11 whichV completely encloses the mirror sheet 10. Saidborder framell is shown as constructed ofV rectangular tubing having an inner'wall 1.2, an outer Wall 13, back Wall la `and'front Wall '15. At the front edge of the inner VWall 1.2 andy serving;

ineffectpas a continuation of. the .front Wall 15 of the framefl provide an flange 16 whichV 1923. Serial No. 638,703.

commences as a tangent to the Wall 15 and curves inwardly so that its inner edge 17 overlies and engages the face of the mirror 10, serving as a support therefor.

Although the flange 16 may be formed separately and subsequently secured to the corner of the rectangulary border frame tube by any of the approved existing methods such as brazing, Welding or thelike, I prefer to employ an integral construction as Shown in the drawing Where theV flange 16 is formed of double thickness, the outer ply 18 beingv a continuation ofthe Wall 15 Whiletlie inner ply 19 is formed as a continuation of the inner Wall 12. The inner/edge 17 of said flange constitutes the fold or connection between the two plies 18 and 19.

Recent developmentsrin the art of steel tube manufacturing by my associates have made it possible to produce commercially a' flanged tube such asis illustrated in the drawings and Which I have just described.

In orderv to protect the silver'ed rear surface of the mirror sheet 10, I

cover the rear surface thereof Wi i a sheet 2O of card board or other lsomewhat flexible;

The three sheets 10, 20 and 21` are secured and held Within the frame. byV means which.

enga-ge the backv surface of the rear sheet 21 and force all three sheets towardthe flange 16, thf-neb'y'l retaining them securely' in position.

.tprefer to f The retaining means preferably comprises f a series of clips 22 which? extend throughy apertures made in the inner Wall 12 of the border tube behind the back sheet 21. The.

outer end 28 of said slip 22 is madev of suitable size to permit .of its being inserted into said aperture, While the inner end 24 of the clip is curved forwardly slightly as shoivn and overlies the margin of the back sheet 21 The edge 25V ofv the aperture in Wall 12,through which the clip 22 entends, con- I* stitutes in effect a fulcrum orh-pivotalbearing for said clip enabling the latter to" be rocked on ksaid edge 25 ina plane substantially at right angleslto the plane lof the panel sheetlO. l Preferably said rockingof thev clip 22 to causeitsend 24't'o moveV forwardly and hold the sheets in position is eif'ected by a cap screw 26 extending through f move toward the edge 17 of the flange 16.

The described details of construction and operation being illustrative of yone phase only of my invention, it will be understood that the scope of' same should be determined by reference to the appended claims, said claims being construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim as my invention:

l. In combination, a face sheet, a hollow metal border element therefor provided with an inwardly extending flange overlying the margin of the face sheet and with an inner wall surrounding the face sheet and a clip extending through said wall back of the face sheet and on both sides of said wall and adapted to be rocked in a plane transverse to the plane of the sheet to cause one end of said clip to be pressed toward said sheet to torce the latter toward said Y flange.

panel sheet, and means tending to rock said clip to cause the last named portion of said clip to be pressed toward said sheet to hold the latter in engagement with said flange.

3. In combination, a face sheet, a hollow `metal border element therefor provided with an inwardly extending flange `overlyingthe margin of the face sheet and with an inner wall surrounding the face sheet and a clip extending through said wall back of the face sheet and on both sides of said wall and adapted to be rocked in a plane transverse to the pla-ne of the sheet to cause one end of said clip to be pressed toward said sheet to force the latter toward said flange, said wall being apertured to permit insertion therethrough of a portion of said clip, the edge of said aperture constituting a pivotal bearing for said clip.

et. In combination, a panel sheet, a tubuf Y lar metal border element therefor provided with an inner wall and with an inner projecting flange overlying the margin of the panel sheet, the said panel sheet fitting within said wall, a clip extending through said wall back of the sheet, a portion of said clip being located within said tube and a portion being located at'the back of the panel sheet, and means tending to rock said clip to cause the last named portion of said clip to be pressed toward said sheet to hold the latter in engagement with said flange, the inner wall of said tube being apertured to permit insertion therethrough of the portion of the clip extending into said tube, the edge of said aperture constituting a fulcrum or pivot for said clip.

5. ln combination, a panel sheet, a tubular metal border element therefor provided with an inner wall and with an inner projecting flange overlying the margin of the panel sheet, the said panel sheet iltting within said wall, a clip extending through said wall back of the sheet, a portion of said clip being located within said tube and a portion being located at the back of the panel sheet, and means tending to rock said clip to cause the last named portion of said clip to be pressed toward said sheet to hold the latter in engagement with said flange, the inner wall of said tube being apertured to permit insertion therethrough of the portion of the clip extending into said tube, the edge of said aperture constituting a fulcrum or pivot for said clip, said rocking means cooperating with the portion of the clip located within the tube and being adjustable from the outside of said tube.

' 6. In combination, aface sheet, a hollow metal border element therefor provided with an inwardly extending flange overly-y ing the margin of the face sheet and with an inner wall surrounding the face sheet and a clip extending, through said wall back o the face sheet and on both sides of said wall and adapted to be rocked in a plane transverse to the plane of the sheet to cause one end of said clip to be pressed toward said sheet to force the latter toward said flange and a screw accessible from the back of said blorder element for adjustably rocking. said c 1p. f

7. In combination, a panel sheet, a tubular metal border element enclosingv said sheet including outer and inner substantially parallel walls, a flange at the front edge of said inner wall overlying the margin of said panel sheet and constituting an ornamental trim around the exposed area of the face of said panel sheet, saidinner wall being apertured behind said panel sheet, a metal clip having its inner end overlying the back of said panel sheet and having its outer end .extending through said aperture in said wall and into said-tube and t a screw insertible through a wall of said tube and cooperating with the outer end of said clip for drawing the latter outwardly, the edge of said apertureserving as a pivot thereby causing the inner end of said pivot to move forwardly toward said panel sheet to press the latter toward said flange.

8. In combination, a face sheet, a hollow metal border element therefor, provided with an inwardly extending flange overlying the margin of the face sheet and with an inner wall surrounding the face sheet, said wall being apertured behind the face sheet and a clip overlying the back of the face sheet and having a portion extending into said aperture for preventing backward movement of the face sheet away from said flange.

9. In combination, a face sheet, a hollow metal border element therefor, provided with an inwardly extending flange overlying the margin of the face sheet and with an inner wall surrounding the face sheet, said wall being apertured behind the face sheet and a clip overlying the back o the face sheet and having a portion extending into said aperture for preventing backward movement of the face sheet away from said flange, said clip being movable to permit insertion or removal of said faee sheet in its frame. n

10. In combination, a face sheet, a hollow metal border element therefor', provided with an inwardly extending flange overlying the margin of the face sheet and with an inner wall surrounding the face Sheet, said wall being apertured behind the face sheet and a olip overlying the back of the face sheet and having a portion extending into said aperture for preventing backward movement of the face sheet away from said flange and screw means for forcing said olip toward said flange.

FRANK KUSTERLE. 

